All Roads Lead Home
by Aleisha Potter
Summary: In which Hank Pym plays with things he shouldn't and Morgan goes runabout to another reality. A reality where Tony Stark is very much alive... but married to Steve Rogers? And raising a super soldier of a son thanks to Hydra meddling? **This is a crossover of sorts. Based on Counterpart by Sara Holmes. Written with her knowledge and permission!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Morgan Stark edged closer to the large pad in the center of the cavernous room. She could hear her mother arguing mildly with Mr Pym, something about Daddy's research and his old files. Things that didn't really matter to six year old Morgan but seemed to matter very much to her harried mother. Morgan glanced across the room to where Clint was standing, talking to Cap, Lilah standing next to him with her bow in hand. She was supposed to be with them, Clint was supposed to be taking them down to the range, to watch Lilah practice. But the range was boring. Not for Lilah, she loved any chance to shoot at the Compound, with all the fancy holo-targets and Avenger's-level equipment. Morgan would much rather escape to Peter's lab. It reminded her of Daddy. But Clint was watching her today, so that meant a day at the range.

Cap gestured to something on the other side of the room and Clint and Lilah turned to listen. Morgan glanced back at where her mom and Mr Pym were still arguing. No one was paying attention to her, no one had even noticed that she'd crept ever closer to the large platform that dominated the room.

Morgan had seen pictures. She'd heard Bruce and Clint talk about it, even heard Cap mention it once. She knew what this was. One of her daddy's greatest discoveries, they said. And he had a lot. She personally thought his suits were much cooler, but everyone else talked about this as if it was the greatest thing Tony Stark had ever done.

She just wanted to see it, get a little closer. It was easy enough to creep up the ramp, her small feet made little sound as they padded against the polished metal. When she made it to the top of the ramp, her eyes widened. The platform felt large, impressive and all-encompassing. Morgan moved to the center, turning in place to look out at the room from the higher vantage point. She saw Clint turn to his side, glancing down to where she was supposed to be standing. His eyes widened and he started to look all around. Morgan knew the moment Clint caught sight of her.

"Morgan!" he called, starting to move towards the platform. Morgan snapped around to find her mother's angry face also moving closer from the other side. Morgan decided it was probably best to move back to the ground. She was in enough trouble as it was. She made to move back towards the ramp when a high pitched humming sound started to vibrate through the room. It was centered under her feet, making her body tremble slightly. Morgan quickened her pace, breaking into a run. Just as she neared the edge of the platform, she felt the room grow hot. It felt like the air was being sucked out of the room, like it was closing in on her. Her limbs felt heavy, they didn't want to move any more. "Mommy!" she screamed before she felt her body being jerked backwards and the whole place went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Tony leaned against the counter in the communal kitchen, waiting on the coffee to finish brewing, cursing the slow pitter of the black goodness as it trickled into the pot. He glanced at his phone, verifying the day. Thursday meant swimming. Steve was taking Arto so Tony could attempt to finish the jet engine upgrades for Judy. His brain was sluggish this morning, working is short, staccato sentences. He needed caffeine. Stat.

Tony turned as clunky steps caught his attention. Bucky walked in, Anna cradled against his chest, babbling in her sweet, no-non-sense way. He grunted at Tony, his standard 'I need caffeine. Help.' form of communication that Tony had learned to interpret over the years.

"Rough night?" Tony asked, pulling a second cup out of the cabinet. He could be magnanimous when he wanted to be.

Bucky answered in another grunt as he kicked out a stool at the island, sliding his body across it tiredly. "Teething. It's a form of torture even Hydra never thought of implementing," he said by way of explanation. Tony was once again eternally grateful that his child had shown up at 6 years old. They had managed to skip some of the more tormenting stages of childhood. Like teething. And potty training.

Tony filled both mugs to the brim once the coffee pot had finished brewing and carried them over to the island. He slid one across the smooth counter to Bucky and cupped the other between his palms, enjoying the heat from the porcelain. "Where's your better half this morning?" he asked, sliding onto a stool opposite the Barton-Barnes duo.

Bucky took a long sip of his coffee, his whole body seeming to relax as the liquid gold hit his tongue. "Sleeping," he responded shortly. "He took the night shift, was up with Anna every hour I think," he offered after a second long drag of precious caffeine. Tony nodded. "Where's yours?" Bucky asked, turning the question back on him.

"Swimming at the cesspool he insists on taking Arto to," Tony responded.

"Don't diss the place. You know how Steve feels about it," Bucky pointed out.

Tony rolled his eyes, sipping at his own mug of goodness.

"I would feel better about if they learned to clean properly," Tony grumbled, falling back on another old argument.

"Bah!" Anna called out, slapping her chubby hands against Bucky's shoulders. Bucky smiled softly at his daughter, giving her the attention she obviously was demanding.

"See? Baby Barton agrees with me," Tony said, feeling a smug sense of pleasure at the small child's obvious support.

"Barton-Barnes," Bucky corrected. Tony rolled his eyes again. He opened his mouth to continue yet another familiar never ending argument but before the words could make their way past his lips, Jarvis was interrupting.

"Sir, Agent Barnes, I am afraid there is a situation," the AI spoke up, tone cautious and tight. "I am detecting a trans-dimensional portal opening in the lower level of the Tower."

Tony immediately called for his suit, flinging his arms wide so the pieces could assemble around him. Tony was glad Steve and Arto were out of the Tower, safe on the other side of town. One less thing to worry about. He watched as Bucky sat up, arms tightening around Anna as the last vestiges of sleep vanished. He looked alert and deadly, every bit the Winter Soldier at the moment, ready to protect his daughter at whatever cost. "Jarvis, wake up Clint. Give him the facts. Barnes, as soon as I'm out, lock her down." Bucky nodded, jaw tight and tense. "I'm going to kill Reed!" Tony seethed as the face plate slipped down to cover his face. "Every time I think he's finally shut that damn thing down, something else happens! Fucking idiot will never learn." Though how Reed Richards had managed to open a portal here at Avenger's Tower rather than the Baxter Building, Tony had no clue.

After the face plate slipped shut, the suit powered up, drawing on the power of the reactor. Tony turned and bolted for the elevator. "J, where am I headed?" he asked as the door slipped shut.

"The portal seems to be located on the garage level. Far east wall," the AI responded, throwing up a map of the tower with a flashing red dot leading him on the HUD.

Tony made his way to the garage level, cursing at the agonizingly slow speed of the elevator. Why had he never upgraded these things? Surely he could do better than this snail's pace they were moving at currently.

After what felt like way too long, the elevator came to a stop and the doors parted, opening onto the parking garage level. The open room was silent and dark, nothing seemed to be moving among the silent forms of the various cars and bikes and other vehicular type... things that the Avengers owned. No pink light, no odd glowing that he had come to associate with Reed Richard's trans-dimensional travel. There was... nothing.

"Jarvis?" he asked. "are you... sure this is where you detected a portal?"

"Affirmative. Based on Mr Richards's previous data and tracking algorithms, I am sensing one being, 5 meters straight ahead," the AI explained.

Tony raised a gauntleted hand, opening his palm and readying the repulsor as he stepped across the garage. He took cautious steps as his eyes surveyed the quiet room. The barest hint of movement caught his attention just as he reached the middle of the garage. Over near the doors that opened up to the outside street, a flash of red had him spinning as the repulsor fired up. He didn't fire though, as his eyes landed on the hunkered form of something small. Something child like.

"Hey!" he called out.

The small form jumped up. Brown eyes widened as, what Tony could now see was a small girl, stood to her full height. She had a simple red tee shirt and jeans on, gold sneakers on her tiny feet. He watched her face twist into a look of utter confusion before it crumpled completely. The sob that tore through her as she rushed at him caught him totally off guard. But nothing shocked him more than the strangled "Daddy!" that ripped from her throat seconds before she flung her tiny body at his armored legs.

Tony's brain short circuited as the small child clung to him. Her whole body shook with the strength of her cries. The only coherent thought that was making it through his head at the moment was *why did small, displaced children always end up here!?*

"Tony!" Clint's call snapped him out of his stupor. He leaned over and scooped up the small being as her arms immediately found their way around his neck. She didn't seem to care at all about the armor encasing his body. He turned around to find Barton exiting the elevator, fully suited up in his purple Hawkeye gear, bow in hand with an arrow nocked. Clint froze when Tony turned to face him, his eyes going straight to the form held tight in Tony's arms. He watched Clint's eyebrows slowly raise higher and higher on his forehead. "Jarvis said there was another trans-dimensional portal open. Right under us..."

Tony nodded. "Yep. That's what he said."

Clint stared at Tony and he just stared back. The young girl that was currently attempting to choke the life out of Tony was still sobbing and god... Tony wished Steve was here. Why was it always them? What did they do?! Why did the universe keep sending them children!?

Pepper was furious. And scared. And so damn lost.

"Where is she!?" she demanded yet again, leaning over Hank's work station as if she could possibly make sense of the various screens and dials and stats that were covering it.

Hank's fingers flew across the screens, typing and jabbing and hopefully finding the answer to Pepper's desperate question. Steve stood behind them, arms crossed, and Clint was beside him. Pepper knew they weren't any help here, if she didn't understand the various screens and data flying by, Steve and Clint definitely wouldn't, but she appreciated the show of support.

"Pepper, I'm trying to track her. But... she wasn't wearing a guide device when she was pulled in. I... It's like hunting for a needle in a haystack! She could be somewhere else in time, she could be here, just out of phase with our reality, she could be in a completely different reality. I just... don't know," Hank rambled, slight edge of panic evident in his tone.

Pepper took a shaky breath. She couldn't lose Morgan, her brain kept chanting that fact at her. She'd already lost everything else, she could. not. lose. Morgan. The one thing she had promised Tony, that they would be okay, that she could keep their daughter safe. How had she failed so badly!?

"Can't we just go look for her?" Clint spoke up from his spot behind them. Pepper glanced over her shoulder, taking in the tense stance the archer was holding. His arms were crossed, mimicking Steve's stance, his tattooed arm visible outside of his black tee shirt. Lilah stood next to her father, leaning slighting against his side. She was almost as tall as he was these days and was looking more and more like Laura by the minute.

"Go where?" Hank asked in an annoyed tone. "The possibilities are endless, I wouldn't even know where to send you."

Pepper could see Clint's guilt in the set of his jaw, the way his brow was furrowed, the frown that marred his face. "Clint," she said quietly, knowing how quickly his thoughts could go dark, "it wasn't your fault. I wasn't watching her, either," Pepper pointed out, needing her friend to let this one go. He carried enough on his shoulders without adding this to it.

"We'll find her," Steve spoke up, making the promise in his best Captain America voice. Pepper gave him a weak smile. Always the optimist. Tony had always said that was both one of his more redeeming qualities and one of the things that drove him up the wall.

"Medical, right?" Clint asked, stowing his bow as he watched the small child cling to Tony in a very Arto-way. Tony distinctly remembered Arto clinging to him in this very way in the early days after they had rescued him. He placed an armored hand on the tiny, quivering back as he looked at Clint, raising an eyebrow in question. "That's what we do, right? Medical, DNA test, freak out, then we add them to the brood?" Clint joked, voice a little tight to Tony's ears.

Tony shook his head. Clint did have a point though. Looking closer, the girl's skin looked red and irritated and she seemed a little disorientated. Medical was probably the right call.

"Jarvis? Is Bruce in the Tower?" he asked as he walked towards the elevator. Clint stepped in after him, quietly watching the figure in his arms.

"He is. Should I inform him of the situation?" the computer asked easily.

"Yeah. Do that. And have him meet us up on Medical," Tony responded, meeting Clint's eyes. "What?" he asked, noticing the tightness in his jaw, the way his eyes danced, like he was trying to keep from cracking up. Clint didn't seem to be able to hold it in any longer. He let out a cackle, holding his stomach with one gloved hand.

"Oh god. I get to call Sue and tell her we acquired ANOTHER random child. And it wasn't me this time!" he crowed through his laughter. Tony glared at the jubilant archer. He wasn't finding this nearly as humorous as Clint. He couldn't shake the utter heartbreak he'd heard in the girl's voice when she'd cried "Daddy." That mixed with the way she was clinging to him, sobs finally slowing to just whimpers and shakes, left him shook, a foreboding feeling anchored deep in his chest. Arto's world had been messed up and broken and the Avengers had all been dead, Hydra reigned supreme. God knew what kind of world she'd come from. Could it be worse than that? Tony wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Clint did have a point, though. He should call Sue. Because inter-dimensional travel was Reed's thing. If another alternate dimension child had found it's way to their universe, it had to be Reed's fault. He'd do that. Just as soon as they had some answers.

The child in his arms turned her head to peer cautiously at Clint. Tony glanced down, watching her face screw up in confusion. One small hand reached out, trailing tiny fingers along Clint's bare bicep. "What happened to your arm?" she asked clearly, if a little wobbly. Clint's eyes snapped to Tony's, a look of confusion evident in his gaze, before glancing down at the girl.

"Uh, my arm?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," she replied, spreading her fingers out across the skin, "where'd the pictures go?" she asked. Tony met Clint's gaze again and shrugged.

"I don't have any pictures on my arm. Never have," Clint answered lightly. The girl's face screwed up in anguish again, her small lip trembling and Tony just knew another round of sobs was on it's way. "Hey... what's your name, huh? Do you have a name?" Clint asked, working to cut off another break down and to get the small child talking.

"Morgan," the child whispered. "You don't know me..." she phrased the last bit as a statement, not a question, as if she already realized she wasn't where she should be. Clint shook his head.

"I'm supposed to, huh?" he asked. The child nodded.

"I think I traveled through time," Morgan said, face twisted up and lost looking. Tony's stomach dropped at her words. Clint's face looked just as surprised.

"Well... that's a new one," the archer muttered.

Clint watched Tony carry Morgan into the small room, glancing around, he was actually pretty sure this was the same room they had carried Arto into all those years ago. What do you know...

The little girl had calmed down some during their ride up, but she still looked shell shocked and a little lost. Time travel. What the ever loving fuck? Alternate realities, other realms, he thought maybe they had faced it all, but... time travel?

Tony eased the child down to the small med bed. She looked like that was the last place she wanted to be and Clint half expected her to jump up and throw herself back into Tony's arms.

Bruce chose that minute to push through the door, stumbling to a stop when his eyes fell on the little girl hunched over on the bed. "Oh boy," Bruce muttered, rubbing at the bridge of his nose then pushing his glasses back up in place. "Tony, what did you do?" he asked. Tony's head snapped around to level a glare at Bruce.

"Not my fault! Why do you assume I did something?" he asked. Bruce turned to Clint instead.

"Okay, what did you do?" he asked.

Clint rolled his eyes. "Wasn't me this time!" he pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. "She just... appeared here. Ask Richards," he added.

"It was my fault," a small voice pipped up, interrupting their growing argument and finger pointing.

Three heads swiveled around to look at Morgan.

"I was on the platform, I wasn't supposed to be, I was supposed to stay with Clint and Lilah," Morgan explained, voice shrill and wobbly. Clint blinked at her explanation. Her words were precise and easy to understand. It was so different to how Arto's vocabulary had been when he was this size. When they'd first found him, he pretty much only communicated through grunts and growls and curse words. Clint uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides in an unassuming stance. He tried to appear easy, open.

"You think you traveled through time?" he asked, hearing Bruce suck in a sharp breath across the room. Morgan nodded her small head. "Why is that?" he asked, trying to gather a little more information. Morgan shifted on the bed, pushing her hair behind her tiny ear.

"Because Daddy is alive and you don't know me and..." Morgan's eyes shifted over to Bruce, trailing up and down his body, "and you sound like Bruce but you don't look like him. You look like he used to, old pictures," she tried to explain. Clint met Tony's gaze, noticing the troubled look on his face. An uneasy feeling was settling in Clint's stomach. If she was really from the future... that meant... Tony was dead.

"Jarvis said inter-dimensional portal, not a time portal," Bruce pointed out. Clint nodded.

"Morgan, what year is it?" he asked.

"2025," she answered. Tony sucked in a noisy breath. Well. That matched up, so... not the future.

"Morgan... that's your name, right? Hi... I'm Bruce. Can I take a swab? We'd like to run some tests, make sure you're alright," he spoke softly. Morgan's face screwed up, the frown and slight pout too familiar.

"Morgan, what's your whole name?" Clint asked.

Morgan glanced between the three adults. "Morgan Stark," she answered, her voice clearly saying 'you should know that'. Clint nodded. He'd already guessed that much.

"And Tony is your dad, right?" Another nod. "Morgan, who is your mom?" he asked carefully. Morgan fiddled with a braided bracelet on her skinny wrist.

"Pepper..." she answered softly. Clint snapped his eyes up to Tony's, taking in the slightly pale appearance and the wide eyes.

"Yeah, not the future," Tony quickly threw out.

Bruce carefully took Morgan's arm, turning it over and looking at the red, irritated skin. "This looks like a really bad sunburn, or maybe a radiation burn," he muttered.

"I wasn't wearing a suit," Morgan explained, pulling her arm back to cradle it against her chest. "Everyone wears a special suit when they use the platform, but I didn't have one on," she went on.

"Can you tell me about this platform?" Tony asked. Clint could tell Tony was focusing on a problem he had a chance of fixing, rather than the elephant in the room.

"Scott and Bruce and Daddy made it. Cap calls it a time machine but Peter says that's simplifying it and that that's not fair to Daddy's memory. It uses the qu-quantum realm," she went on, struggling just a little at some of the more technical terms, "to let people travel through time. But Mr Pym has been messing with it. He thought it could do more. He wanted Daddy's notes and research. Mommy didn't want to give it to him."

"Holy shit. Tony... some you somewhere discovered Time Travel," Clint said, smirking at Tony's astonished look.

"Language!" Morgan piped up, a scowl that screamed Stark set upon her slim face. Clint blinked.

"Sorry," he apologized. "But I have to warn you, no one around here is very good at watching their language."

Morgan tipped her head sideways.

"Bet Cap's swear jar is full then," she said easily. That pulled a cackle from Clint. Steve with a swear jar? Good god, what kind of a world did she come from?

Clint calmed down and ran a hand through his hair, knowing it would mess it up and leave it standing on end, but right now, he really could care less. He met Tony's eyes again, finally broaching the subject he knew the other man didn't want to deal with. "Someone needs to call Steve." Tony nodded, a resigned look on his face. "Steve needs time to explain it to Arto," Clint pointed out. Tony winced but kept nodding. Clint had really been looking forward to sleeping in, to an easy day with his husband and daughter. But no... their lives could never be that easy, that mundane. "Okay. Morgan, are you hungry?" Clint asked. Morgan just shrugged. "Bruce, do we need to do anything for her skin?" he asked.

Bruce shook his head. "I think it's just irritated. Aloe should help," he replied, slipping his hands into his pockets as he kept a careful distance from the med bed. Clint nodded.

"Okay then. Food. Let's go see what we can find. Tony, you call Steve, then meet us up on the communal floor," Clint ordered, stepping up to the bed and holding a hand out to Morgan. The girl only paused for a second before slipping her small hand into Clint's large one and jumping from the bed. Tony didn't answer but Clint saw him pull his helmet all the way off and grab for an abandoned StarkPad, settling in to make the call. Good enough.

Clint led Morgan out of Medical and to the elevator. She glanced around curiously, taking in everything. He'd guess by the way she looked a little confused that she wasn't familiar with the Tower, or at least this part of it, which had him curious about where she lived, where the Avengers spent time in her world if it wasn't at the Tower. So many questions.


End file.
